Holy Living
Notes
Transcript
Therefore, preparing your minds for action, and being sober-minded, set your hope fully on the grace that will be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ.
As obedient children, do not be conformed to the passions of your former ignorance,
but as he who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct,
since it is written, “You shall be holy, for I am holy.”
And if you call on him as Father who judges impartially according to each one’s deeds, conduct yourselves with fear throughout the time of your exile,
knowing that you were ransomed from the futile ways inherited from your forefathers, not with perishable things such as silver or gold,
but with the precious blood of Christ, like that of a lamb without blemish or spot.
He was foreknown before the foundation of the world but was made manifest in the last times for the sake of you
who through him are believers in God, who raised him from the dead and gave him glory, so that your faith and hope are in God.
Introduction: As we continue to study 1 Peter and how we live out our “Holy Mission in a Hostile World,” Peter is here continuing on in his discussion on our Living Hope.
In 1 Peter 1:3-12, Peter spent time exploring God’s work in redeeming them. He did this by exploring the immense hope that this gives to the believer. Especially how that gives hope to the believer who will endure the hostility of the world.
Now, In 1 Peter 3:13-21, Peter is going to further that discussion by helping us to see how that living hope gives rise to a distinctive way of life.
Theme: We have been called to a distinctive way of life that flows from our redemption in Jesus Christ.
A Fervent Hope
A Fervent Hope
Transition: Our distinctive way of life is rooted in our fervent hope of Jesus’ return.
Peter understands the terrible pressure that sits upon the life of the Christian to be brought into conformity with the world.
This pressure is exacerbated in times of persecution and suffering.
ILLUSTRATION: Remember that it was a lowly slave girl that evoked Peter’s denial of Christ. Why? Peter failed not because of the slave girl, but because of the immense pressure he was under to deny Christ because of the other persecutors.
Therefore, preparing your minds for action, and being sober-minded, set your hope fully on the grace that will be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ.
As obedient children, do not be conformed to the passions of your former ignorance,
but as he who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct,
since it is written, “You shall be holy, for I am holy.”
Our Missional Footing
Our Missional Footing
Therefore, preparing your minds for action, and being sober-minded, set your hope fully on the grace that will be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ.
“Prepare Your Minds for Action”
Lit “Gird up/prepare the loins of your mind.” Speaks of being ready for work or a battle. Figurative terminology to evoke the tucking of your outer garment into a belt so that your legs are free of encumberment.
In modern terminology, it would be to put on your work clothes.
Illustration: President’s role as the Master in Chief. One of the remarkable things about being the US President is having the power and authority to exert America’s military might. I imagine other world leaders, especially those of smaller stature and with less military force, that they think through military conflicts differently than the US leaders do.
Something akin to that is here when Peter is calling us to remember the revelation of Jesus Christ. That revelation of Jesus Christ brings to the table a power and authority that ought to change our perspective on the outlook of events.
Application: We must possess a footing in all that we do, that we are actively engaging in all that we do with Jesus’ return in view. Am I living for a paycheck, for retirement, for self-esteem, for power, OR am I living for eternity?
“Being Sober-Minded”
Lit “being sober.” Again Peter chooses words that evoke an image in the mind. This is one of sobriety vs drunkeness.
Again, Peter is speaking of a certain mindset that believers carry into all of life.
“Set Your Hope”
This is the imperative, the command. Peter has exhibited way that this hope changes are footing, here he states the command outright.
Our hope MUST be set the reality and implications of Jesus return if we are going to accomplish the mission he has called us to.
Our Missional Holiness
Our Missional Holiness
As obedient children, do not be conformed to the passions of your former ignorance,
“Do not be Conformed”
Peter sets out a negative statement of how our hope then transforms our way of live and a positive statement of how our hope transforms our way of life. Both of these can be seen as two sides of the same coin.
Negatively, he commands us not to be conformed to the passions of your former ignorance.
Essentially exactly what Paul declares in Romans 12:2.
Peter recognizes that there is system of thought that characterizes our previous way of life. That system of thought and action is to be thrown off.
Notice, how he helps us to see our place in that former way of life by saying they are the passions of our former ignorance.
This statement helps us to rightly evaluate and relate to the world as it helps us to see the transformative work that God has brought into our lives that the lost world has not yet experienced.
This statement also helps us to see how easily the flesh can pull us towards its unholy bent as Peter uses the word “passions, cravings, lust.”
but as he who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct,
since it is written, “You shall be holy, for I am holy.”
“Be Holy in All Your Conduct.”
The positive side to the outworking of Peter’s command to set your hope fully on the revelation of Jesus Christ is that call to holiness.
Holiness = a distinctive (i.e. set apart) way of life.
Peter connects this back with first, God’s holiness and also to the clear teaching of OT. Scripture.
Application: Peter hear is very careful to connect Mission to Life. Why should we be Holy? Well, Peter says that one of the reasons for that holiness is that we stand as representatives of God.
Illustration: Article 133 – Conduct Unbecoming an Officer and a Gentleman – is an offense with deep roots in military history and the original Articles of War.
A Reverential Fear
A Reverential Fear
And if you call on him as Father who judges impartially according to each one’s deeds, conduct yourselves with fear throughout the time of your exile,
knowing that you were ransomed from the futile ways inherited from your forefathers, not with perishable things such as silver or gold,
but with the precious blood of Christ, like that of a lamb without blemish or spot.
He was foreknown before the foundation of the world but was made manifest in the last times for the sake of you
who through him are believers in God, who raised him from the dead and gave him glory, so that your faith and hope are in God.
Transition: Our distinctive way of life is also rooted in a reverential fear of God the Father.
Fear is a powerful motivator.
Illustration: Putting up blinds on windows and fear of heights/falling.
Peter understands the pressure that believers face as they face persecution. One of those pressures comes from fear.
Peter therefore gives us instruction that helps us to see that there is a fear that ought to motivates us, but it is not the fear of men.
Our Heavenly Father
Our Heavenly Father
And if you call on him as Father who judges impartially according to each one’s deeds, conduct yourselves with fear throughout the time of your exile,
“If you call on him as Father.”
Peter addresses our new, changed relationship with Gode Father. We do approach him as a Father. We call upon him and make requests of him.
“Who judges impartially”
Yet, there is something else that we must know about our Heavenly Father and that is that he is a perfect judge of righteousness, holiness, and wickedness. Peter declares that he is impartial.
“Conduct yourselves with fear”
This statement may be an idea that is hard for you to understand if your portrait of an earthly father has been marred.
Illustration: However, part of the role of being a father is being that not simply of parent, but as being a leader amongst parents. We fathers bare uniquely the mantel of leadership in our homes and that leadership often extends to the discipline of our children.
Statements like, “just wait until your father gets home” have meaning an weight because children have a healthy respect and fear of their fathers that doesn’t always match that of their respect for their mothers.
“throughout the time of your exile.”
Peter is using these terms to help us grasp the reality of how we don’t fit into this world, and that we are awaiting a day when things will be set right.
Application: As believers we live under the authority of our heavenly father.
Our Glorious Redemption
Our Glorious Redemption
knowing that you were ransomed from the futile ways inherited from your forefathers, not with perishable things such as silver or gold,
but with the precious blood of Christ, like that of a lamb without blemish or spot.
The Cost of our Redemption: Peter first enumerates the cost of our redemption.
“Knowing that you were ransomed”
Evokes the imagery of buying you out of the slave market of sin.
Peter adds that we were bought “not with perishable things such as silver or gold.” In doing so, Peter evokes the most costly elements of the ancient world and reduces them to rubish in comparison to Christ.
“But with the precious blood of Christ.”
As Peter forms this sentence in the original greek, he punctuates it by saving the name of Christ till the very end.
He evokes OT imagery of the perfect lamb being slaughtered as a sacrifice.
He was foreknown before the foundation of the world but was made manifest in the last times for the sake of you
The Person of our Redemption: Peter draws our attention not only to the costly nature of our redemption, but also to the person of our redemption.
“He was foreknown”
Not speaking merely that Jesus was known in eternity past, but that his role as our Savior was settled from eternity past.
One of the things that should evoke praise of God and also reverential fear of God is the fact that God from eternity past had determined to redeem you from your sins. God the Father has related to His Son in this way, not since the cross forward, but from eternity behind.
Illustration: Presuppositions are “a thing tacitly assumed beforehand at the beginning of a line of argument or course of action.” This is something like what Peter is saying about Christ’s role from eternity past. It isn’t that Jesus died for your sins after a long line of decisions made by God, this is actually who Jesus is and How Jesus relates to His Father.
“Was made manifest”
The one whom we know as our redeemer was manifest to us this way 2,000 years ago, but the Father has known his on in this way for eternity.
who through him are believers in God, who raised him from the dead and gave him glory, so that your faith and hope are in God.
The Purpose of our Redemption
Finally, Peter concludes by pointing us to the purpose of our redemption. God has been working all of this to cause us to hope and trust in him.
Again, you see how knowing that truth then helps you to live differently motivated.
Connecting Mission to Life
Connecting Mission to Life
Embrace a “wartime” attitude towards your every day life.
Embrace a “wartime” attitude towards your every day life.
Embrace your calling to distinctive living.
Embrace your calling to distinctive living.